Terms of Sale & Hire.

1.1 "The Company" means Gap Container Services Ltd (Company Number 03019539, VAT Number GB 949 0885 9), having its registered office at Gale Road, Knowsley Industrial Estate, Kirkby, Merseyside, L33 7YE.

1.2 "The Buyer" or "The Hirer" means the company, firm, person, or corporate body placing an order or entering into an agreement with the Company for the purchase, hire, transport, or modification of containers.

1.3 "The Goods" means shipping containers (new or used), bespoke converted units, modular complexes, storage accessories, or transport services agreed to be supplied.

1.4 No quotation issued by the Company constitutes an irrevocable offer. A binding contract is formed only when the Company issues a written Order Confirmation or Pro-Forma Invoice and the required payment/deposit has cleared into the Company's bank account.

2.1 All prices quoted are in Pounds Sterling (£ GBP) and are exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) unless expressly stated otherwise. VAT will be charged at the prevailing rate at the date of tax point.

2.2 Container Sales: Unless a formal 30-day trade credit account has been pre-approved in writing, payment in full (100%) in cleared funds is strictly required prior to container dispatch from our depots.

2.3 Bespoke Conversions: Custom build orders require a non-refundable stage deposit (typically 50%) upon sign-off of CAD drawings/specifications, with the remaining balance due prior to transport dispatch.

2.4 Late Payments: Where credit terms are breached, the Company reserves the statutory right to charge interest and recovery compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 at 8% above the Bank of England base rate.

4.1 All bespoke container modifications (including personnel doors, anti-vandal double glazed windows, roller shutters, partition walls, acoustic lining, electrical packs, and plumbing) are manufactured to mutually approved specification drawings.

4.2 The Buyer is solely responsible for reviewing and confirming the dimensions, layout, swing directions, and RAL paint codes specified on the sign-off drawing.

4.3 Once fabrication, steel cutting, or bespoke material procurement has commenced, orders cannot be cancelled, modified, or refunded without the express written consent of the Company and full payment for work done.

5.1 Deliveries are carried out via specialised HIAB lorry-mounted crane vehicles (rigid up to 32 tonnes or articulated up to 44 tonnes). The driver will offload the container alongside the vehicle.

5.2 Free Offload Time: Each delivery includes up to 60 minutes on-site for positioning and crane offload. If the vehicle is detained on site beyond 60 minutes due to customer delays, site congestion, or unprepared ground, demurrage will be charged at £95.00 + VAT per hour or part thereof.

5.3 Delivery dates and times are provided as reasonable estimates. The Company shall not be liable for delivery delays caused by traffic congestion, mechanical breakdowns, severe weather, or highway incidents.

6.1 Access Dimensions: The Buyer must verify minimum entrance width (10ft / 3.0m), overhead clearance (16ft / 4.8m), turning radius, and the absence of low-hanging tree branches, overhead telephone or power cables, manhole covers, and weak culverts.

6.2 Driver Safety Discretion: The delivery driver holds sole operational authority regarding safety. If, in the professional judgment of the driver, access or offload cannot be conducted safely without risk to personnel, vehicles, or property, offload will be refused.

6.3 Aborted Delivery Charges: If delivery fails or is aborted due to inadequate access, unlevel/soft ground, overhead obstructions, or absence of the Buyer’s authorised site contact, the Buyer shall be liable for 100% of the transport haulage costs plus return depot handling and redelivery fees.

7.1 Transfer of Risk: The risk of loss or damage to the Goods passes to the Buyer immediately upon offload and placement at the Buyer’s premises, or upon loading onto the Buyer’s carrier at the Company’s depot (Ex-Works collections).

7.2 Retention of Title: Legal and equitable title (ownership) of all sold Goods remains strictly with Gap Container Services Ltd until the Company has received payment in full in cleared funds for the Goods and all associated transport, modification, and storage fees.

7.3 Until title passes, the Buyer holds the Goods as fiduciary bailee for the Company, must maintain adequate insurance on the unit, and must keep the Goods clearly identifiable as the property of the Company.

8.1 Hire Duration: Container hire is subject to the agreed minimum hire period stated on the contract (typically 4 weeks minimum). Hire charges continue until the unit is officially off-hired and collected.

8.2 Off-Hire Notice: The Hirer must provide a minimum of 7 working days’ written notice to off-hire a container and arrange collection transport.

8.3 Return Condition: Hired units must be returned empty, swept clean, free of rubbish/hazardous materials, with all locks/keys intact, and in the same structural condition as delivered, fair wear and tear accepted. Modifications (e.g. drilling holes, welding, repainting) are strictly prohibited without written authorization.

9.1 Delivery Inspection: The Buyer or its authorised representative must inspect the Goods upon offload and sign the driver’s delivery slip (or electronic POD).

9.2 Notice of Defects: Any claim for damage, non-conformity, or water ingress must be endorsed on the delivery slip and notified to the Company in writing with photographic evidence within 48 hours of delivery.

10.1 The Company’s total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with any contract shall be limited to the purchase or hire price paid for the specific Goods giving rise to the claim.

10.2 Under no circumstances shall the Company be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential losses, loss of business, loss of profit, loss of stored contents, or crane hire standing time.

10.3 Governing Law: These terms and all contracts shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.